Nostra Dam

Like a feeling of ocean...

Gérard Blanc was a French singer who started his musical career as a founding member of the group "Windings" in 1963. Group renamed "Les Balthazars" in 1967. But it was in 1970 that he saw his destiny completely changed when he joined the group "Martin Circus". Mythical group of the 70s in France, this group will make itself famous in particular through 2 flagship titles that are "Je m’éclate au Sénégal" but above all the cult "Marylène". The year 1987 saw the breakup of the group and the official starting point of the singer's solo career with the release of the single "Une autre histoire which sold over 850,000 copies, a colossal success at the time. In 1988 he released the album "Ailleurs pour ailleurs" which contained the hits "Du soleil dans la nuit" which will rank 10th in the french Top50 as well as "Sentiment d'océan" with more modest but certain success. His last major success will be the single "Dis tout bas dis" released in 1989. Unfortunately, the life of this multi-talented artist ended in January 2009 at the age of 61 as a result of complications linked to a cardiac malaise which had occurred a few months earlier. To discover or rediscover...

Discography (among others ...) :

60s Decade :

• Tout tremblant de fièvre (Martin Circus) 1969

• Le matin des magiciens (Martin Circus) 1969

70s Decade :

• Dis moi (Martin Circus) 1970

• Je danse comme un pingouin (Martin Circus) 1971

• Je m'éclate au Sénégal (Martin Circus) 1971

• Les indiens du petit matin (Martin Circus) 1972

• Il faut rêver (Martin Circus) 1972

• People réveillez-vous (Martin Circus) 1973

• Un coin qui sent le foin (Martin Circus) 1974

• Docteur (Martin Circus) 1974

• Marylène (Martin Circus) 1975

• Bye bye Cherry (Martin Circus) 1975

• Si tu me loupes (Martin Circus) 1976

• Tu joues ton cœur (Martin Circus) 1976

• Drague party (Martin Circus) 1977

• Comme au bon vieux temps du Rock'N'Roll (Martin Circus) 1977

• J'en perds mes baskets (Martin Circus) 1978

• Et puis tu t'en vas (Martin Circus) 1978

• Pour m'en aller plus loin (Martin Circus) 1978

• Before it gets dark (Martin Circus) 1979

• Shine baby shine (Martin Circus) 1979

• Number one woman (Martin Circus) 1979

80s Decade :

• Tous des robots (Martin Circus) 1980

• USSR/USA (Martin Circus) 1980

• Trop sentimental (Martin Circus) 1985

• Une autre histoire 1986

• Dernier matin d’Asie (Sampan) 1987

• Du soleil dans la nuit 1988

• Sentiment d’océan 1988

• Tonton bâton 1989

• Dis tout bas dis 1989

90s Decade :

• Je saurai que c'est toi 1990

• Plus le temps 1991

• Tomber du haut d'un rêve 1991

• Nuit de blues 1991

• Les larmes aux yeux à l'intérieur 1995

• A quoi ça rime 1995

• Je déménage 1995

2000s Decade :

• L'amour parle plus fort 2003

• Leslie Tom et Jane 2003

• Pour la faire rêver 2006

2020s Decade :

On est du même rêve 2021
C'est un cri 2021
Dieu a fait les hommes 2021
La mort des héros 2021
Un peu plus de nous 2021

Tracks :

1969 ... the very first steps of the Martin Circus without Gérard Blanc. The sound is trendy, of course, but there is still some way to go before they can compete on an equal footing with the competition ...

1969 ... the end of the 60s to make their debut and especially to break in. For the rest, we will have to be a little more patient ...

1970 ... no major development at the start of the 1970s. The group is still chasing a first success which could finally propel them to the front of the stage ...

1971 ... we still feel that the lines are finally starting to move, especially in terms of sound. Because in terms of words, we literally border on carricature ...

1971 ... then THIS title comes ! The title which will finally reveal them in broad daylight and literally explode their notoriety. It must be said that a certain Gérard Blanc has just arrived in the troop. This explains that !

1972 ... the group will become in a few years one of the flagship groups of the decade and become literally essential. And that's just the beginning...

1972 ... even if they will not manage to reproduce in 1972 the feat achieved the previous year on 'Je m'éclate au Senegal', the dynamic of success is now well in place and it is especially that the essential ...

1973...definitely, the group cannot find the brilliant inspiration that revealed him in 1971. What they deliver now is nice but nothing more...

1974 ... in total delirium mode. It must be said that this decade of 70 allows quite this kind of rantings and that is also all that makes its charm !

1974 ... the tempo wakes up somewhat. It could well be that things accelerate somewhat and that the group finds the way of the Charts faster than expected ...

1975 ... we felt it coming and this is the title that will unlock everything. All the Dancefloor of France are literally on fire thanks to this title which will undoubtedly remain as one of the biggest hits of the 1970s on the French side. The group will sign here one of its biggest successes thanks to this revisited version of the track 'Barbara Ann' of the Beach Boys dating from 1965. HU-GE !

1975 ... they're going to take the whole Beach Boys record back from us if this continues. This time, it's the huge 'I get around' which they dare to tackle and my faith, the result is not that ridiculous ...

1976 ... as a rule, they do not manage to line up two consecutive years of great success. But who would blame them given their permanent good humor ...

1976 ... welcome to the Disco planet. They intend to take advantage of the huge wave that is shattering everything on a planetary level by becoming one of the largest French groups in this field ...

1977 ... when I said they were going to take the whole Beach Boys register back from us. This time it will be Jan & Dean's 'Surf city' from 1963 that will pay the price. A little novelty wouldn't hurt, on the contrary ...

1977 ... a good-natured discography but it often borders on caricature. What is certain, however, is that their desire to bring joy and good humor is evident. Isn't that the main thing ...?

1978 ... luckily the music often comes to save the somewhat average level of the lyrics. On the other hand, we won't remake them again as they say ...

1978 ... ah, the Ultimate Slow which was missing from their discography. Unfortunately, in this area, they will not really show above average skills ...

1978 ... it was really in Dance that they were most effective. Most of their titles in this field will have been inspired, it is clear ...

1979 ... the English version of 'Disco Circus'. A version that will work particularly in the Anglo-Saxon sphere, thus bringing them a little more international success than usual ...

1979 ... the group will experience a last huge success in 1979 with this 1000 % Disco title. A title with formidable effectiveness on the Dancefloor side, that's clear !

1979 ... this title will not really know the same level of success but nevertheless allows the group to continue surfing with obvious ease on the Disco wave. A wave that will soon fall concerning them unfortunately ...

1980 ... the transition to the 1980s was not going to be very profitable for them. The group did not know how to adapt to the latest trends of the moment and will quickly be relegated to the oblivion of history ...

1980 ... they remained too stuck on their fundamentals of the 1970s and it was going to cost them the rest of their career purely and simply. Frankly shame ...

1985 ... the last stand. The Martin Circus epic is coming to an end for a certain Gérard. An adventure that he does not have to deny, far from it !

1986 ... the title which will launch for good his solo career and explode his notoriety as a singer in his own right. He signed one of the biggest Dance hits of the 80s on the French side, just that. HU-GE !

1987...magnificent humanist ode which shows all the versatility of the artist's writing talent. He knows how to compose perfectly for himself but also for a common work, the strength of the Greats...

1988 ... the dance hits follow one another at an impressive speed. A new example with this title which will remain as one of the biggest hits of that year...

1988 ... the WONDER ! An Ultimate slow with incredible lyricism that magically suspends time ... At the pinnacle of his art !

1989 ... his last notorious hit. After 3 years at the top, the artist will experience a slow but inexorable decline. Like many others ...

1989 ... a title of end of decade which swings strongly, with more than certain quality but passed somewhat unnoticed ...

1990 ... a change of decade that will not be really favorable to the artist. Difficult to compete against the competition ...

1991 ... and quality is not lacking. But faced with the furious Eurodance and Eurobeat, how to fight ...?

1991...not to mention a level of inspiration which was weakening and which was not going to help bring him back into the race. Hard law of the trade...

1991...the brilliant inspiration that was his during the previous decade melted like snow in the sun, it is clear...

1995...that's not going to stop him from continuing the adventure no matter what, but it's clear that the best years are now far behind...

1995...afterwards as long as he continues to enjoy what he does why would he throw in the towel prematurely ? That's what he says to himself every day...

1995...after 2 decades which allowed him to reach the highest point of his career, the 3rd will somewhat sound the death knell for it...

2003 ... after a decade that has seen him slowly but surely die out, the Phoenix is trying to rise from the ashes. Wasted effort...

2003...he hangs on and does better than resist but that is not enough in any case to hope for any return to favor...

2006 ... yet another return attempt. Again aborted. And yet, as always, there is inspiration, but that is no longer enough. Since a long time...

2021...titles which will not be officially released in their time and which will be released many years later. It would have been a shame to hide them...

2021...here they are brought back into the spotlight, to the delight of core fans as always. Which inevitably ask for more...

2021...unreleased releases which complete a discography that is substantial to say the least and among the most brilliant of its generation, that much is clear...

2021...an artist who left far too early and who would surely continue to produce titles of certain quality. But fate will have decided otherwise...

2021...one last title to salute an exceptional career for one of the most gifted artists of his generation. Hats off to the artist !